It is a quiet evening and we can hear the fog horn in the distance. It has been a bit of a grey and rainy day and the fog is now rolling in slowly. We first heard the fog horn in Trinity Bay in NL and I just love the sound of it - it sounds almost soothing and somewhat melancholy, except when you are trying to get some sleep! (Rajivīs comment)

We are camped in Whale Cove, in the Digby neck area which spans about 48 kms. Itīs pretty much out in the middle of nowhere, which explains the silence. We are slowly making our way to Long Island and Brier Island which are a couple of short ferry rides from here.

Prior to getting here, we made a stop at Bear River, also known as the Village on Stilts. A small town with a lot of artistic flair

. Flights of Fancy, one of the stores in the village represents about 24 local artists and showcases some beautiful pieces of art.

At Long Island, we went on another whale expedition, hoping to have a better experience than the last. We were not disappointed. The company was more professional and we didnt feel like we were whale chasing.

Saw about half a dozen humpback whales. The only words that came out of us when we saw them was ĻwowĻ. They were quite magnificent and so very graceful. Our guide mentioned that some of the whales return every year and they are identified by the marks on their tails. Most of the pictures we have are of Foggy, aptly named because he is usually seen in the waters on foggy days.

Returning from Brier Island the following day, we had a bit of an incident with the van. Just as we were about to get on the ferry, the battery died. Good thing it was a small ferry so we were not holding people up. Rajiv got the van going about 10 minutes later but we decided not to chance boarding just in case it died again. So we drove around the island. Itīs not a very big island at all so we just kept driving the same loop

We found out the island does not have a mechanic so not a great place to have van problems. It was a stressful day because we werenīt sure if the van was going to make it across - we had two small ferries to cross and then the large ferry from Digby to St.John New Brunswick.

But after that minor incident, the van worked like a charm. We are, however, a little paranoid now. Itīs difficult to get the van looked at on short notice, but back in Digby the very helpful information centre staff got us in touch with a local mechanic who was able to check the alternator and battery output.

After an overnight stay in St. John, NB, we are slowly making our way to the U.S., with a brieft stop in St. Stephen (home of Gagnon chocolates).

Books we have just read:

Bobbie - Blindness by Jose Saramago, a portrayal of manīs weakness and ultimately exhilirating spirit.Rajiv - Chasing the Shore by David Weale, a PEI writer. A thought provoking collection of essays based on the authorīs life experiences.

ahoy! good to see you guys are still going on smoothly. ^.^
I didn't know you were going into the states, but I guess that makes sense, rather than going back up that small strip of land back into Quebec. ^^;;

Also, looking at the pictures in the last post,
mainly:
-http://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/kalsi_kaur/1/1221243180/img_1004.jpg/tpod.html

I'm surprised you guys dont have those in Ottawa. they're all over the place in Toronto, and to a smaller extent in Brampton.